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The new Detective Pikachu trailer is lots of fun. In fact, after watching it a few times, I had to remember the last trailer that I thought was so unabashedly enjoyable. I was a bit surprised to realize it was way back when Thor: Ragnarok was coming out (though, that last Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse trailer was great too!).

So, I went back and watched the Thor trailer, went back to Detective Pikachu, had a thought, played them both at the same time and got enough inspiration to waste my Tuesday evening making this thing.

Welcome to The Great Halloween Playlist – Volume Two! Be sure to check out Volume One and Volume Two!

Halloween is my favorite holiday and it’s the only other one besides Christmas that takes up the whole month. From October 1st to the 31st, it’s Halloween. And a month long holiday needs a soundtrack, it needs holiday music.

And I’ve been around the internet, I’ve seen the “best” lists for Halloween tunes. Some are good, some are bad and all include “Thriller”. But, I have my own list. My own Halloween playlist. And, yes, their true form is that of mix cds. I’m going to share this playlist, focusing on each cd, each volume, per post.

Two things to note before I start. There’s a good amount of instrumental music in each volume. Many of those tracks are video game remixes, mostly found from Overclocked Remix. There’s movie soundtracks too, but I just wanted you to know that music from Castlevania, Doom and Resident Evil shows up quite a bit.

Second, everything is personal and subjective. If you love these, great! If you don’t, make your own. Send me your list! Maybe you’ll inspire me to create another volume in this playlist of mine. Now, I’m done with disclaimers.

Volume three was made the year after the first two and I had thought I had burned through the best songs. Little did I know! As it turned out, this third volume would see me discovering great songs I had never heard about. It also helped me find the spookiness in old favorites.

Thus, we continue with Hallows’ Eve: Volume Three.

1. “Bumps Gonna Goose Ya!” by Jack Black

The Goosebumps movie was better than it should have been and even had a non-fan like me in it’s nostalgic grip. It helps that it had this 90s-styled recap of the movie geared up before the film. Bad raps that recite the plot of a film are of a bygone era, and this shows why. But it has a killer chorus and Jack Black goes for broke.

2. “True (It’s Gone Now Mix)” by Steve Pordon

Again, Silent Hill is too scary of a game for me, but this mix is my kind of spooky. That guitar is a phantom gripping your back and pulling you away from your friends. It’s more of that girl-from-a-well type tune that we saw previously, and it feels like your in an abandoned city and can’t remember why.

3. “Dark Horse” by Katy Perry Feat. Juicy J

I don’t like Katy Perry. At all. But I can’t deny how creepy and seductive this song is. It’s like witchcraft. The lyrics tempt you even as they warn you. That beat is pure evil, but, during Halloween, it tricks you into a false sense of security. It’s a lie. You’re trading your soul for a sick hook. Juicy J’s rap isn’t enough of a warning sign. It should be. I mean, if she tricked Juicy J, what hope do the rest of us have!

4. “Redemption” by Brandon Strader

The main theme from Telltale’sWalking Dead games is a great, somber piece. Strader takes that source and adds some life to it. It doesn’t take away the from the desperation, but there’s a bit more hope in the mix. I can’t help but think of mid-western wheat field, of Night of the Living Dead, of the dark closing in.

5. “The Man Comes Around” by Johnny Cash

Brought to the Halloween party by 2004’s Dawn of the Dead. Not a bad movie, either, though not one I rewatch like Romero’s classic. But, those opening credits show the world going to hell in such a splendid fashion, you’d be right in thinking that Zack Snyder should end all movies after the title sequence. “The Man Comes Around” is a fantastically evocative song on it’s own. Cash’s raspy voice in his last days has so much belief you feel like that pale rider is going to show up mid-song.

6. “Tubular Bells” by Mike Oldfield

I will never watch The Exorcist and you can’t make me. But, boy howdy, if those tubular bells don’t press all the right buttons. It’s such a haunting theme that it could go with any possessed house. As soon as the leaves change colors, this song is in fashion. And that last minute has such a nasty guitar that any beauty those bells had is forgotten.

7. “Of Whips and Strings” by Super Guitar Bros.

The Castlevania soundtrack is all killer, no filler, and this mix brings a whole lot of it together. Out of the three Castlevania tracks we’ve had now, this is the most woodsy of them all. It sets the mood for a nameless European village being visited by the man who promises to kill their local vampire. It’s sad, but it’s exciting, all while being a bit doomed.

8. “Ghost Town” by Adam Lambert

Adam Lambert is a big fan of Adam Lambert but he brought us “Ghost Town” so maybe he has something right. Club music for those haunted by spirits they can’t escape. That whistling is so lonely and so very empty. Try driving with this playing on the radio, when the night has fallen and the leaves blow carelessly across the road.

9. “The End of Hell” by Mazedude, Alisean

More Halloween, more Doom! But, this time, it’s not a remix of “Into Sandy’s City”! It’s just as disturbing, though. It has a Danny Elfman-vibe at times, sounding like it could have come out of the Beetlejuice soundtrack.It has that unrelenting bass that you’d expect from Doom, but there’s that wicked melody that throws everything off kilter.

10. “The Monster” by Eminem feat. Rihanna

The rest of the song is suspect in it’s spookiness but Rihanna is my favorite ghost gal. Her chorus wins this song a spot on the playlist. The music itself actually works well for the season, but come on, “I’m friends with the monster under my bed, get along with the voices inside of my head”? That’s wonderful. It’s nice that she’s escaped Disturbia but now she has to drive us crazy too? What a spooky treasure, she is.

11. “Dream Eater Mix” by Solkrieg

Is there Halloween dubstep? Is this all there is? Because this is something else. You have some of the coolest, loudest sounds to come out of October here and that creepy little girl singing who-knows-what? Maybe it’s not a girl, is it just instrumental? That’s CREEPIER! This isn’t the first time we’ve had Lavender Town’s theme show up but it will be the last because nothing is topping this. It’s scary but it rocks so hard. And that music box! GAH!

12. “Ghost” by Ella Henderson

Volume Three of this playlist has pushed hard against what should and shouldn’t be considered a Halloween song. I’ll admit it! And “Ghost” might be too pop to make it’s own case. But, if you force yourself to not think about this song as about a breakup, than, guess what? Ghosts!

13. “The Haunted Train Disco” by The Orichalcon

Good thing that voice clip tells us we’ve reached our doom or this would be too much fun. It’s another song that screams carnival. I’ve never been to a carnival during Halloween. You know, with rides and clowns. I’d imagine it’s great. Is that something that happens? Where would I have to go to find it? Not some harvest fest, for kids and crap. I want to think those people selling giant bears are out to get me.

14. “Pet Sematary” by the Ramones

This song is an absolute classic. That chorus is full of sorrow and fear. Pet Sematary is a disturbing book and the result of being buried there seems like a fate worse than death. After reading that story, it’s not hard to tell why you wouldn’t want to live that life again. Lot’s of great holiday imagery makes into the song; warlocks, wolf cries, goblins(!) but that chorus and fade out are the star.

15. “Halloween Theme – Main Title” by John Carpenter

Like “Tubular Bells”, the theme from Halloween is a scary piece of standalone art. It’s simple, but perfectly consistent. And that perfection is too much for my anxiety. Piano’s can be horrible to us when we let them. You can hear the grit of the 70s in this track and see the grain on the screen as that knives cuts through a door.

16. “Up Jumped the Devil” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

What makes this song so nasty is how Nick Cave throws himself into the role. As the character in this tale gives into his evil nature, he spirals more and more out of control. Yeah, we’re to believe he was born this way but he seems to be having too much fun to pity. And the music is chaotic and only gets more so as the song goes on. The images of “My daddy did a jig, With the drunk midwife” are nutty and insane. Nasty, yes, but cool enough to be a bad influence.

17. “Ada’s Groove” by ABG

I just realized how heavy this volume is with zombies! And then this track comes in to chase you down the hall, out to the streets and into the sewers. Why did you run into sewers? Those are never safe! There’s that flute-like call in the song but it feels disconnected from the ticking clock of a beat. It’s frantic, it’s lonely.

18. “Jack the Ripper (Live)” by Morrissey

“Pet Sematary”, “Up Jumped the Devil” and, now, “Jack the Ripper” by Morrissey make for a trilogy of nasty songs. Halloween suddenly got less fun and more dangerous. We’ve been playing with fire for three albums and daring spirits. This song is told from the point-of-view of the Ripper, taunting the women he’s leading to their last moments. But line’s like “Crash into my arms , I want you, You don’t agree, but you don’t refuse, I know you” matched with a teasing and wretched guitar could seduce any of us down an alley we’d never return from.

Welcome to The Great Halloween Playlist – Volume Two! Be sure to check out Volume One and Three.

Halloween is my favorite holiday and it’s the only other one besides Christmas that takes up the whole month. From October 1st to the 31st, it’s Halloween. And a month long holiday needs a soundtrack, it needs holiday music.

And I’ve been around the internet, I’ve seen the “best” lists for Halloween tunes. Some are good, some are bad and all include “Thriller”. But, I have my own list. My own Halloween playlist. And, yes, their true form is that of mix cds. I’m going to share this playlist, focusing on each cd, each volume, per post.

Two things to note before I start. There’s a good amount of instrumental music in each volume. Many of those tracks are video game remixes, mostly found from Overclocked Remix. There’s movie soundtracks too, but I just wanted you to know that music from Castlevania, Doom and Resident Evil shows up quite a bit.

Second, everything is personal and subjective. If you love these, great! If you don’t, make your own. Send me your list! Maybe you’ll inspire me to create another volume in this playlist of mine. Now, I’m done with disclaimers.

Fun fact about this volume, it was made at the same time as the first! It would be an annual undertaking afterwards, but I didn’t know that the first year. So, I went for broke with the first two and they act as companion pieces to each other.

Thus, we listen to Hallows’ Eve: Volume Two.

1. “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr.

The first song on each of these volumes is an important decision. If you’re listening to this playlist in cd form, the perfect form, it’s even more important. I’ve tried to keep each first song a fun one, because you don’t want a happy Halloween mood shut down with something more somber. But, a happy Halloween song can lift your somber mood! So… “Ghostbusters”!

2. “Shikashi’s Dream” by anterroir

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is a creepy game. That giant moon just keeps looking at you…watching. The characters in the game aren’t that much better and there’s always something a bit off about them. This song could be the theme for any of them. Apart from the game, it’s the song you hear when you find a lone cottage in the woods, where you shouldn’t be. There’s something off about it too. Leave.

3. “Mitternacht” by E Nomine

Mitternacht means Midnight! What’s scarier than midnight during Halloween! And checkout that beat. I don’t know about your experiences with German techno, so Happy Halloween, I give you the treat that is E Nomine!

4. “Panic of the Undead” by Noppz

“Panic of the Undead”, a remix from the game Zombies Ate My Neighbors, is a fun tune that has that uneasy carnival vibe we find so much during October. There might be zombies, sure, but there’s a Ferris wheel that’s moving on it’s own and a clown that’s just laughing for no reason. Even the giant teddy bears seem to have teeth. This song is the tilt-a-whirl.

5. “Flame” by Bell X1

I like an October song that feels like Autumn as well. “Flame” paints that picture. Dark nights after it’s been raining, toasting marshmallows in a haunting light. It’s romantic too, with that deep sense of unrequited longing and sometimes that can get a bit unnerving too. It might not be about ghosts and ghouls but it creates a scene that leaves room for them.

6. “Clairvoyant Eulogy” by The Orichalcon

The creepiest Pokémon track from the creepiest Pokémon town. Lavender Town knows it has ghosts and the villagers just live with it! This source tune will come back in a later volume because it’s just so haunting. That repetitive opening, that sorrowful chorus, it fits the spirits that are still living in our house so well. Grab a flashlight before you go to bed.

7. “Thriller” by Michael Jackson

Hey, look, it’s “Thriller” on a Halloween playlist! Guess I’m a freaking sheep! Why else would I put this funky, rocking, so dance-able-it-makes-the-dead-groove song on my list? It’s probably the biggest and most obvious Halloween song out there, and even if you don’t like it, it has to be here. It’s earned it.

8. “The Accursed Seal” by Juan Medrano

A remix of “Bloody Tears” from Castlevania II was always going to end up on this playlist. It just so happens that Juan Medrano’s mix rocks too hard to ignore. It’s one of the harder songs throughout all the volumes, with that crying guitar just looking for someone to set it free. There’s that carousel-like bridge but it gets right back to business. This song chooses action over chills when it comes to vampires.

9. “The Twilight Zone” by Rush

The Twilight Zone is one of the best shows I never watch enough. Rush captures the sense of eeriness and otherworldliness that the show did so effortlessly. They wrap references and images in an already fantastic song, with that trotting bass and those almost teasing “nananas”. If a show like The Twilight Zone doesn’t deserve a song during Halloween, then nothing does. Also, 2112 is a fantastic album.

10. “Deadside Dance” by Alexander Previert

I’m such a sucker for voice samples in songs. “Deadside Dance” is full of moody and corny pieces of dialog, but, combined with the relentless beat of this mix, they create a spooky atmosphere of shadow and magic. We’re dealing with the end of the world and crossing over to the land of the dead here. You, like myself, don’t even need to have played the Nintendo 64 game to appreciate this song during those overcast evenings.

11. “Fatal” by RZA

The only good thing to come out of Blade: Trinity and I’m sure RZA could have put this out without that toothless vampire film. This song is the complete opposite of the movie, it’s all bite. Have vampires ever sounded this BA before? RZA makes them sound so frustrated, so ready to take back the night. It might be about Dracula, it might be about you. The important thing to remember is to not cross (get it?) a vampire in the night. (Also, I made that video more than ten years ago).

12. “My Loved Ones Are Gone” by Psycho Crusher

There hasn’t been a lot of sorrow on this volume but, when it does shows up, it works. “Shikashi’s Dream” and “Clairvoyant Eulogy” had it and so does this song. It’s brutal, yes, like the moment you bust into that evil house and start cutting your way through the undead. But, you’ve lost many to get here and you’re not sure you’re going to make it out alive. How can you trust a guitar that sounds so heartbroken? That’s when it’s the most desperate!

I really do mean to get back into the The X-Files. I think I’m in the middle of the third season? I remember an episode with Jack Black. For the purpose of this playlist, it doesn’t matter because the main theme from the show is strong enough to stand alone. It’s so eerie and evocative that’s it’s easier to understand why this was the one of the most recognizable tunes of the 90s. Even if you didn’t watch the show, you knew to be creeped out by this song. And this version from the last movie is a great variation that might even improve on the original.

14. “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult

And classic rock is the gift that keeps on giving. I’d say it’s not as woodsy and Lovecraftian as Donovan’s “Season of the Witch” but this song is haunting in it’s own way. The images of blue candles, ghosts and lost loved ones fit the holiday well and the bridge is right out of The Twilight Zone. It helps that it’s one of the best rock songs of it’s time.

15. “Neighburgers” by Protricity

Zombies Ate My Neighbors are back! And on the same volume! What might have been a glaring mistake made by yours truly has turned into a happy accident as this mix is darker and a lot more teasing. It rocks a little more, feels less like a carnival and more like a chase you can’t escape. It’s rainy and suburbia is dark.

16. “Halloween (Speedy Mix)” by Aqua

We return to Aqua’s helium-induced singing for the StepMania version of their song “Halloween”. It’s quicker, shorter and would work well on Dance Dance Revolution. Not much to add, other than I like the song so much, I found a way to get it on this playlist twice.

17. “Blood Bath” by Mazedude

I told you we would return to Doom II‘s “Into Sandy’s City” and so we have. The other mix, “31 Seconds”, was a somber piece of cheese wiz. “Blood Bath” is lactose intolerant and sets out to be horror show. The title seems all too appropriate. It’s heavy, it’s scary, it feels like the dark Halloween nights we don’t want to be part of. But, with a soundtrack this good, maybe it’s worth the risk. And the axe in the back.

18. “Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon

After “Blood Bath”. we needed to end on a lighter note. And sure, the werewolves have taken over, but it seems so fashionable. They’re hanging out with the Queen, for pumpkin’s sake! There’s still elements of danger, such as lungs being ripped out, but, mostly, Warren Zevon is more interested in their perfect hair. I’d rank this alongside “Thriller” in being required Halloween listening.